The Mort Cory Gang
by Calico West
Summary: When a murder is committed while Mort, Slim and Jess are out on the trail, the blame for the crime lands at their feet. Now seen as wanted criminals, they find themselves running for their lives from everyone in their path that wants to put an end to the Mort Cory gang.


The Mort Cory Gang

For a wanted poster to get printed, first a crime must be committed. Sometimes, if certain individuals are in the wrong place at the wrong time, incorrect names get written down. It doesn't always matter to other people concerned, as long as someone pays for the offenses, especially if the crime was an ugly, despicable act like certain outlaws are capable of doing. Perpetrators know this, and if given the opportunity, they place the blame on the innocent to make sure they, the true tarnished outlaws, can walk away freely.

Bosley Bates, or "Boss" Bates, as he was known amongst his peers in his business of outlawing led two other men with almost equal scathing reputations through the hills of the Wyoming Territory. He was an older man, though not considered too aged for his leadership role. His gray hair had come on him early and now as it covered his entire head it made him feel more wise than elderly. He'd learned a lot from his years being on the run, spending time in and out of jail helped give him an edge since he could watch the badge wearers with a certain scrutiny that would keep him one step ahead of them as the years wore on.

"Boss," a tall, gangly young man named Ernie Munroe called as he rode alongside Bates. "We should be making camp soon."

Boss Bates shook his head slightly at Ernie. The boy, although at twenty-one Ernie wouldn't have likened to still be considered a boy, but to Bates, he was just that, drooped noticeably in the saddle when Bates disagreed. He wasn't the smartest outlaw, which would have made it difficult for him to land in a gang such as the one Boss Bates ran, but Ernie had an advantage not many knew about. He was the leader's own nephew, and Boss felt he had quite the obligation to help make the man successful in this life on the run. It always helped, too, that the sweet, tender faced boy of his sister's was yet to be printed on a wanted poster, and since he still looked and sometimes acted like a kid, he could go sneaking around unnoticed far better than the others.

"I'll say when it's time to make camp," Bates continued to shake his head at Ernie then pressed his horse to a quicker pace to continue to be in the lead position. "I don't feel right about this place. We'll keep going."

"You should know not to question him," the other partner in the group with the single name of Webb complained to Ernie. "Just because he's your uncle doesn't give you any special privileges."

"I know," Ernie said in a low voice, "I just want to quit riding. I ache in too many places."

"That's because you're still young and unseasoned on the trail," Webb was twelve years older than Ernie, been raised in a saddle and on the run since he was eighteen so he felt the advantage of not feeling pain in certain areas like the youngster beside him, but the soreness would come if they stayed on the trail much longer, but Webb knew better than to voice his achy complaints.

"We must be getting close to Farnsworth's," Bates abruptly stopped his horse and inhaled deeply through his nose. "I can smell the filthy rich for miles, and there's no one more filthy, or rich, as him."

"You've been after Farnsworth for years, Boss," Webb sniffed the air too, but smelled nothing but the normal outdoor odors. "Why you haven't taken him yet is beyond me."

"How many times do I have to tell you boys?" Bates, a man who liked to talk with his hands, waved them back and forth between his partners. "If you want to do the perfect crime, you have to do it at the perfect time."

"You only have one reason to kill Farnsworth, Boss," Webb pointed out. "That's simply because you hate him."

"What's wrong with that?" Bates shrugged his shoulders. "My hatred will cease when he's deceased. Sounds logical to me."

"Farnsworth probably doesn't even remember you," Ernie squirmed slightly in his saddle still wishing they'd be making camp soon.

"No, I'm sure he doesn't," Bates smiled then tapped himself on the chest with his finger as he spoke. "Which is why when I do send him to the graveyard, no one will ever suspect it was me. Besides, what's most important in the matter is this: I remember."

Bates still saw the event plain in his mind just as if it had happened days before, not the three years that had actually passed. Bates had been drinking, he never denied that fact, but he was far from drunk. Coming out of a saloon in Casper, Farnsworth stepped right into him, knocking him onto the ground, and then quickly began to wipe off his expensive suit as if touching an unwashed saddle tramp could possible tarnish him.

"Excuse me," Farnsworth had said, although he never really looked Bates in the eye.

"Is there any excuse for you?" Bates snapped his reply as he returned to his feet.

"Mister," Farnsworth wrinkled his nose when catching the liquor on Bates' breath, "you are drunk. I abhor drunkards."

If the street hadn't been full of eavesdroppers, his gun would have been drawn then, but he kept it holstered and took a step closer to Farnsworth so that they were practically eye to eye, nose to nose and mouth to mouth.

"And I hate highfalutin fancy pants!" Bates hollered his return, making Farnsworth cringe and back up sharply as if Bates carried a contagious disease. "What? Do I make you sick to your stomach?"

"To be honest, yes," Farnsworth admitted, now that he took a few more steps backwards he felt more courage to speak his mind. "I think you need to go back to the hole you came out of and crawl right back inside. These streets are only safe if men like you aren't on them!"

Casper's sheriff was walking in their direction and since Bates knew his name and face were already printed on several posters he couldn't take the chance of letting the sheriff get too close to him so he went back into the saloon and out the barroom's backdoor all the while swearing up and down that one day that man he would later learn was named Ryan Farnsworth would die, even if it took him days, weeks, months or years to accomplish. And it would take just that. Three years had come and gone but the threat had never been forgotten.

"Well, boys," Bates said as he pushed his memories aside and took another deep breath and gave an exaggerated cough at the smell of Farnsworth. "I know of a good campsite about five miles away. Farnsworth's place is not too far from there. Just maybe he'll start squirming in his bed tonight with the scent of me, too."

"Finally," Ernie said under his breath then added quickly louder, "right with you, Boss."

Before the men reached their destination, Bates pulled up on his horse with a frown. Campfire smoke drifting on the wind was a clear enough indication that they weren't the only ones set on sleeping under the starlight. He dismounted and inched his way silently to an outcropping of rocks that bordered the stranger's camp. Getting a good look at those who occupied the site, he then motioned for his partners to join him.

"Looks like our campsite's already been taken," Bates spoke in hushed tones then pointed to one of the men. "The one in the middle looks familiar."

"He's wearing a badge," Webb noticed immediately. "You can see it reflecting the firelight."

"You know who he is, Uncle, I mean, Boss?" Ernie asked.

"I think so," Bates rubbed his cheek in thought for a moment then nodded. "That there is none other than the sheriff of Laramie, Mort Cory."

"Who are the other two with him?" Webb asked.

"I don't know," Bates watched the three men talk to one another, unknowing that they were being watched. One of the men with fair features and wearing a smile looked fairly tall, with his long legs stretched out in front of him. The other, just by the way he was sitting with his gun in the perfect position to be instantly grabbed and the way his face held more of a stony expression, hinted that this one was the type of fellow to avoid. Gunfighter was the word that first came to his perceptive mind.

"What are you thinking, Boss?" Webb watched the face of his leader change expressions from deep thought to a sense of wonder.

"The time has come."Bates' eyes squinted to slits as a perfect plan, one he'd been waiting these three years to come to completion, finally found its pieces.

"What do you mean?" Ernie looked from the three resting men to his uncle. He'd never seen the expression on his uncle's face before and it bewildered him, but also excited him. Something was about to happen.

"Mort Cory put a slug in my leg some years back. While I was mending in his jail, he was waiting for a marshal to come pick me up. I never did completely heal. I got away from the marshal not long after we left Laramie, but I wrecked my leg up some more doing it. Do you ever notice me limp sometimes, especially when it gets cold? My leg gets cranky and I get mighty peeved at the memory of Mort Cory. There he is, with two unknown gents. Here I am, with two outlaw gents. And there Farnsworth is, just a mile or so away in his high and mighty house. You get where I'm going with this?"

"It's finally time to put an end to Farnsworth," Ernie began to grin.

"Ernie, my boy," Bates patted his nephew's back. "You're getting smarter every day."

xxx

"Tired of sleeping on the ground, Slim?" Sheriff Mort Cory asked as he watched Slim Sherman try to get more comfortable.

Slim, along with his partner Jess Harper, had joined Mort on the trail of horse thieves from Laramie on up to near Casper. When they came to a small mining town on the trail, it was discovered that local ranchers had already apprehended the thieves and they were now behind bars in Casper. Enjoying a leisurely ride home, the three men had spent the morning fishing before getting back on the road again to Laramie. They now had settled in for a cozy camp, resting close to the fire as the night held a distinct chill.

"I admit I'm not that used to it," Slim sat himself up, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"You'll be back in your own bed before you know it," Mort smiled. "What about you, Jess? You anxious to feel something softer underneath you?"

"Nah," Jess shrugged. "I've spent so many nights out like this it doesn't matter where I lay my head anymore. The only thing that keeps me awake is Slim's snoring."

"Very funny," Slim faked a laugh. "Remember I was the one that caught you those first few days you were on the ranch taking your blanket and laying on the floor. Your words, not mine, 'Dang bunk is too soft'."

"Well it was," Jess frowned at Slim bringing up the memory that made Mort laugh. "I got used to it."

"Just as I'd get used to lying on hard ground if I did it more," Slim agreed.

Slim hadn't spent too much time on any adventures in recent years. Since Jonesy escorted Andy to school a month earlier, he found it was easier to volunteer his services more frequently to the sheriff if he needed assistance. Without a kid brother to take care of, or have worrying about him back home while he was on the trail, Slim became more able to take a step away from the ranch while gentle old Ben, who worked for Slim from time to time, kept the stages coming and going fixed with a new team of horses.

"You'd think you would be by now," Jess found the teasing grin widening on his mouth. "Since this past year you've chased after me a few times to drag me back to the ranch."

"You're glad I did," Slim winked at Jess. "Don't you forget it."

"I don't," Jess winked back. "You won't let me."

xxx

"Farnsworth sure has a big house," Ernie, long forgotten were his saddle sores now that the greatly anticipated moment was about to happen, stood next to his uncle underneath a towering tree a short distance from Farnsworth's house. "Are you sure Truscott will go along with this?"

"He will," Bates nodded in assurance. One of Farnsworth's hired men was an old friend of Boss Bates'. Hank Truscott had been working for Farnsworth for nearly a year, but didn't care much for the owner. At their last meeting while downing a bottle of whiskey together, Truscott had vowed to help in any way he could when the time had come for Bates' revenge to be completed. This night would prove if Truscott was a man like himself who always fulfilled his promises. "Here he comes with Webb now."

"Tonight's the night?" Truscott asked as he shook Boss Bates' hand.

"It's a perfect night for it," Bates nodded. "As long as you do your part, that is."

"What do you want me to do?" Truscott answered quickly. He hadn't planned on staying on with Farnsworth as long as he had. The pay was good but the attitude from the ranch owner and the foreman above him were grating on his nerves. The time to move on was way overdue.

"Simple," Bates put his hand on Truscott's shoulder. "When we come running out of the house, fire some shots in our direction and tell everyone you saw Sheriff Mort Cory and his two partners fleeing the scene. You can have this little package as your payment."

Truscott took a glance at the envelope with a suitable roll of bills tucked inside and nodded. "I have no problem doing what you ask."

"Good," Boss Bates felt his chest swell with an emotion he hadn't felt in a lengthy time. If revenge was said to be sweet, he must have been back in his childhood with his fingers wrapped tightly around a wad of stolen candy ready to stuff it in his mouth. "All right, Webb, Ernie, let's get it done."

xxx

"I think before we head on home it'd be nice to stop in a town, get cleaned up, eat a decent meal and catch up on the local gossip," Mort suggested as he saddled his horse just after sunrise. "What do you boys think?"

"Sounds good to me," Slim mounted his horse and smiled. "It's not too often anymore I get some food that tastes good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jess frowned standing in front of Slim and his horse, Alamo. "I think I cook pretty well, at least I burn fewer meals than you do and the critters of Andy's don't complain. Besides, you're the one that makes the coffee so rank the cups we use are starting to corrode."

"Exactly why I'd like to go to town," Slim laughed. "Medicine Bow's closest to our south, you want to stop there?"

"Yep," Mort rubbed his empty stomach. "There's a little café there with the softest bread, the thickest steak, the sweetest pies and the prettiest little waitress in all of Wyoming."

"Then that's where I wanna be!" Jess jumped onto his horse in one easy motion then nudged Traveler southward at a swift trot with Slim and Mort right behind him.

As afternoon became hot and humid, nearing the outskirts of Medicine Bow, if their eyes had been searching for something being wrong it should have been clear to see that something was amiss. Yet because the events of the previous night hadn't been relayed to their ears, the scenes unfolding in front of them went unnoticed.

Four men on horses pulled sharply on their reins at the sight of their arrival and rushed onto the main street of Medicine Bow with a shout. A woman walking nearby with a child suddenly started running and didn't stop until they slammed the door of their house and secured it with a lock. Two youths of around fourteen and fifteen climbed on top of the blacksmith shop and laid themselves out flat to watch in reckless excitement what was about to happen in front of them.

Mort, Slim and Jess rode into town in a straight line, slowing as they began to sense the alarm all around them. They turned to look at the townspeople then exchanged looks with each other, passing the unasked questions and answers with their eyes. Mort gave a slight motion with his head that pointed them to the livery where they stopped and dismounted, their horses instantly putting their noses into the refreshing water in the nearby trough.

A large crowd began to form as they watched in horror as the three men seemed intent on invading their town. Whispers turned to angry shouts, fingers pointed and hands gyrated, guns were drawn and ropes were grabbed with every man from eighteen to eighty gathering together in the middle of the street.

"Somehow I don't think they're getting ready for a summer dance," Jess commented about the mob that had grown to more than sixty men while keeping his hand close to his gun.

"I think they want to throw a party," Slim speculated, "and we're the guests of honor."

"Keep your guns holstered," Mort said softly and slowly. "Don't give them a reason to shoot you straight out."

"Who do you think they want?" Slim couldn't stop himself from looking at Jess.

"It's not just me they want," Jess took a step towards the livery door and pulled a poster from a nail. "It's all of us. That is, if we're the Mort Cory gang."

"The what?" Mort took the paper from Jess' hand and read it quickly. "Ten thousand dollars! Someone's made an awful mistake. I've got to talk to Medicine Bow's sheriff."

"You ain't getting there by the street, Mort," Jess pointed to the still expanding crowd. "Let's cut through the livery."

"All right," Mort nodded, leading the way into the large barn with their horses.

"Don't shoot me!" A short, bald man shouted as he hid behind a horse in a stall.

"Why would I do that?" Mort asked taking a few steps closer to the quivering man.

"You're Mort Cory aren't you?"

"Yes," Mort replied. "And this is Slim Sherman and Jess Harper."

"That's what I was afraid of! Don't come near me!"

"None of us are going to hurt you," Mort said calmly. "I'm just on my way to talk to your sheriff."

"He's not in town," the man talked quickly and nervously. "He's out looking for you three!"

"But we haven't done anything," Slim tried to explain.

"Oh, yes you did!" The man barely peeked between the horse's legs while hurriedly loading his hand gun. "You're murderers!"

"I've had enough of this. Let's get out of here," Slim slid open the rear door and the three of them started through the exit.

"You won't get away with this!" The man finally found some courage, stepped from his hiding place, pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. With his aim about as accurate as a broken clock, his bullet missed his target by a great margin and landed somewhere in the pile of hay near the back wall. But it was that gunshot that sent the mob into action.

"It's them!" The little man shouted. "It's the Mort Cory gang!"

The shouts grew louder and the threats more menacing as the crowd burst into the livery and spread all around it with the intent of stringing up what they thought were the worst band of outlaws to ever hit their city.

"Mort," Slim held tight to Alamo to keep him from rearing as the thick crowd coming closer startled his mount, "what should we do?"

"That's a lynch mob that I want no part of," Jess leapt atop Traveler ready to kick him into a high speed.

"We have to run," Mort nodded, climbing on top of his horse, Badge. "We can't face that bunch. Hurry!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Jess led the way out of town with his head and shoulders bent low as gunshots filled the air.

Mort and Slim ducked low and kept their eyes on each other to make sure neither caught lead as the onslaught of bullets flew all around them. Jess was the first to make it out of range as he turned his horse sharply behind the large church building at the end of town and Slim and Mort followed out onto a road that headed towards the hills.

With the men back in Medicine Bow scrambling for their horses to begin the chase, Jess let his eyes roam back and forth over the foreground looking for the best route of escape. He knew the road would take a crossroads beyond the next bend, but he had no plan of getting that far.

"Over here!" Jess shouted to his friends then turned onto a narrow path that went nearly straight up a rocky ridge. Looking over his shoulder he couldn't yet see the townspeople but his ears heard them as they still were firing guns and shouting at the tops of their lungs. He figured they had two minutes or less to get hidden.

"You want us to go up that?" Slim looked nearly straight up as Jess and Traveler started to climb.

"Better do as he says," Mort and Badge followed close behind then Slim on Alamo scrambled up after them.

Jess dismounted behind a rock wall then pressed his back against its far side looking down. Slim and Mort slid in beside him just as the swarm of men galloped past on the road below.

"They'll probably split at the crossroads, heading south and east," Mort said quietly. "But it won't take too long to figure that we didn't head in that direction."

"We'll keep going up then move west," Jess instructed. "Our mounts won't leave tracks up here in the rocks. Unless they can think like an outlaw, they won't know which way we're gonna go."

"We're with you, Jess," Mort took his hat off and rubbed his forehead with his sleeve. "It goes against all that my star stands for, but right now I have no choice but to keep going in the opposite direction of the law."

"That was no law back there, Mort," Slim patted Mort on the back in understanding of Mort's concern. "That was a kill hungry lynch mob."

"I know," Mort nodded. "But it's my name on that wanted poster and I can't run from that for long."

"Let's get going," Jess already on Traveler motioned for Slim and Mort to follow.

They moved stealthily through the rocky region north of Medicine Bow for three hours before Jess pulled them to a halt at a small stream. The horses drank until their thirst was satisfied while Jess hopped down and stuck his mouth in the water next to Traveler's head to put an end to his own dry throat.

"I've got to hand it to you, Jess," Mort smiled slightly watching the water drip from Jess' face. "You've taken us over some rough ground that will be impossible to trace. I'm sure glad I've never had reason to be on your trail."

"Yeah," Jess wiped his mouth from the water but couldn't remove the smile at the corner of his mouth. "So that's why you brought me into your gang."

"Now where do we go from here?" Slim asked as he filled his canteen.

"West, for now," Mort answered as he watched Jess nod. "Eventually we'll head south then east. Cedar Bend is a small town to aim for. Shouldn't be too many lynch crazed citizens there."

"Pa used to take me hunting in the mountains by Cedar Bend," Slim remembered. "One time we got stuck up there in a late spring snowstorm. Fortunately Pa knew where some caves were and we held up in one for a few days. Ma was so mad when we came back, or so she pretended, that she told us to never go hunting again so far from home. Of course we did, though."

"Sounds like a place for a hideout if need be," Jess remounted Traveler and started him moving again.

"I surely hope we won't have the need," Slim said as he moved Alamo next to Traveler.

"By the time we get there," Mort said with hope in his voice, "most likely the truth will be getting around. We didn't do any crime, but someone sure did. They're bound to be found out sooner or later."

xxx

"You know what I'm thinking boys?" Boss Bates took a long swallow of whiskey, wiped his mouth on his hand then continued. "I think we're doing a mighty disservice just lazing around here."

"How do you mean, Boss?" Webb reached for the bottle of whiskey to down his share.

"Young Farnsworth has put up a staggering sum of money out on us, well, Mort Cory and his gang that is," Bates fingered his gun. "From what we heard this morning, he doesn't care who does the deed. I think we should do our part to see that justice is served. I wouldn't mind one bit feeling all that money in my hands, especially since it was these hands that killed old Farnsworth in the first place."

"How will we find Mort Cory?" Ernie asked. "You know there's gotta be dozens if not more bounty men going after them."

"We'll just have to think like they'll be thinking," Bates tapped his temple. "Highly wanted men usually head for the higher ground."

xxx

As shadows chased away the light of day, a rough camp was made. With no fire to keep them warm, each man pulled their jackets closer around their throats to try to ward off the nighttime chill. There would be little to no sleep for their tense moods kept the exhaustion away. Only the horses rested and would be ready to go at first light, if not sooner.

"I wish I knew what this was all about," Mort used his handkerchief to wipe an unseen smudge from his badge. "Murder, that much I know. But who, where, why and when?"

"No one seemed willing enough to share details in Medicine Bow today," Slim spoke while leaning against a boulder that was a few inches taller than him and keeping a sharp eye and ear for any sign of intruders. "Someone prominent must have been killed, but why all of those people thought we are guilty is beyond me."

"Someone must have said we did it, or more specifically, that Mort did," Jess was at the opposite side of their campsite as Slim, also using all of his senses to make sure they remained in seclusion. "Anyone you know want to see you hang?"

"I'm a lawman, Jess," Mort answered with a frown. "Any number of men I've locked up could be the finger pointer. You don't make many friends in this business."

"I suppose not," Jess turned his head to look Mort in the eye. "But you've got two friends right here that will stand by you no matter what, don't you forget that."

"I won't," Mort nodded his appreciation.

"Lower your voices," Slim suddenly crouched low. "I hear horses coming."

Jess hurried to stand next to their horses to keep them quiet as Mort went beside Slim. The sound of multiple hooves going at a slow pace neared the rocky path below them. If the animals kept in a straight line, they'd be safe, but if they turned to angle up, they only had a few minutes left before they were discovered.

One by one the horses passed by as each man silently counted in their heads the ten different mounts that traveled so dangerously close to their camp. Mort wished he knew if the men wore stars on their chests like he did, but since he didn't know if they were lawmen or lynch men he knew he couldn't call out to find out. When the last sound of hoof fall could be heard no longer, the three men joined together near the path they used to get to their hideout to look out into darkness. Danger, at least for the moment, was gone.

Before the sun was even up they were on the move again. With the men in the night still fresh in their minds, Jess suggested instead of heading down to lower ground as they'd originally planned they'd turn back to the rough rocky heights they'd traversed the day before and come down again in another area where the roads were less traveled.

The day was long and seemed to go on without end as they finally found a path out of the rocky regions. Their horses were glad to touch something softer and they instinctively moved at a swifter pace, even though their master's touch kept them from running at the speed they craved.

Suddenly Jess held his hand up indicating they should stop. He turned in his saddle and looked in every direction. Something had startled him but he couldn't put a finger on what. He listened intently but couldn't hear anything but the normal nature sounds that surrounded him. He took a deep breath but nothing abnormal tickled his nose.

"What is it Jess?" Mort whispered his question.

"I'm not sure," Jess answered as his eyes continued to move back and forth. "I can't explain it, but I feel an uneasiness that wasn't there a moment ago. Like someone's watching me, but I don't see a soul."

"What do you want to do, Jess?" Slim trusted Jess' senses enough to know they should be even more careful with their next move, in case someone was watching, perhaps even pointing a rifle at their heads from some unseen perch.

"We'll continue forward," Jess pulled his gun, ready to fight if the occasion was about to arise.

Slim and Mort kept their weapons holstered, but their hands were in position to immediately draw if necessary as they rode over lush grassland that muted every hoof fall. The men barely breathed as they listened to every sound around them trying to determine if they were out there alone. When they'd reached the end of the soft grass that turned into a marshy swamp, Jess stiffened in the saddle. A horse was munching grass somewhere close by, although it was unseen, the sound was unmistakable, and he knew their three mounts were silent. He turned to look at Slim and Mort and held one finger over his mouth to instruct their continued stillness then dismounted.

Jess rubbed Traveler's nose in a signal between man and animal that he needed his mount to stay still and quiet, then knowing his horse would obey, Jess took a few steps around the swamp and flattened himself against a tree. There, in front of him about thirty feet was a horse, and fifteen feet beyond that, was a man.

There were enough trees in a cluster beside Jess to conceal him from the stranger, so Jess felt secure to turn and motion with his hand to Slim and Mort for them to come quietly join him. They came one at a time with Mort leaning his back next to Jess and Slim dropping to one knee to stay hidden.

"You weren't mistaken," Mort said softly in Jess' ear.

"He's too relaxed," Slim noticed. "He has no idea we're here."

They watched as the man took a deep swallow from his canteen, wiped his sleeve over his jaw then began to whistle. The horse flicked its ears, quit dining on its grassy meal and turned to respond to its master's call. He grabbed his coat that lay draped over a rock and slung it over his shoulder. He took the horse's reins in hand and paused. Was he sensing a presence?

Slim, Mort and Jess held their breath as the man's head moved to the right, then the left, then turned his body completely around. He looked up at the sky, squinting at the dappled sunlight through the leafy canopy above him, shrugged his shoulders then mounted. With a word only his horse understood they began to move, each step making a greater span between hunter and prey.

"His face bugs me," Jess said when he finally felt safe enough to speak in a normal tone as the man was well beyond ear shot. "I should know him."

"I recognized him sure enough," Mort rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "That was Wiley Skeen. Bounty hunter. That is, if you can call him that."

"Oh yeah," Jess nodded his recognition. "More like murdering skunk. Isn't that what outlaws call him? Skunk instead of Skeen? I heard he travels with a stack of posters this thick," his hands spread wide in an exaggerated truth, "and every one has the word 'alive' stricken out. He only takes them in if they're dead."

"I'm glad we missed him then," Slim widened his eyes at how close they'd come to meeting the notorious bounty hunter. "Sundown's in an hour or so, you suppose he'd mind if we used his camp? It's in a good location, we've been running all day and I know our horses would be pleased for a long respite."

"I don't think he'd mind one bit," Mort laughed lightly. "Only he'd throw a fit if he knew how close he was to ten thousand dollars."

"Close don't count," Jess said with a wink.

A sound startled the three men and Jess had his gun pointed at the offending object in a flash but soon put it back in its holster as only a fluttering newspaper against a rock had set their tensions high. With a sigh of relief, Slim walked around the perimeter of the campsite, his eyes taking in every detail then picked up the newspaper.

When darkness had overtaken the final sliver of light on the horizon, the three wrongly wanted men tried to find some moments to relax. Their horses, unaware of their master's plight, stood tied in a row while enjoying the same feed the bounty hunter's horse had dined upon. They swished their tails and acted like they were talking over the day's events, reveling in the strength each one had possessed while going through the rugged terrain without fault. Their owners however, didn't share the same jovial outlook over the day they'd faced and even though they tried to rest, the tension in each soul wouldn't bring the relief they yearned, especially since they knew the following day could bring even more trouble than before.

"There's quite the article about the Mort Cory gang," Slim scanned the newspaper that had been left behind at the camp. "Mind if I read it aloud? It could help pass the time."

"Go ahead," Mort agreed. "But tell me who wrote it first, although I probably could guess."

"Says C.B. Ragland."

"Cecil Bernard Ragland," Mort nodded. "I can see why he goes by his initials. He writes for several newspapers in Casper, Medicine Bow, even for one down in Denver, probably more if they're willing to pay for his work. I've known him for a long time, quite the colorful writer, but we've always butted heads something fierce, so I'm sure when he heard about the Mort Cory gang, he jumped for joy to get pen and ink going."

"What's it say, Slim?" Jess sat down near Slim, handkerchief in hand he began to polish his gun while Slim started to read.

"It's lengthy, so don't interrupt. 'There are some crimes that are often overlooked in this wild west that we call home, but then there are the vile, most horrendous acts that just have to be brought to attention. Such a dreadful event occurred late Friday night in a peaceable home nestled in between Casper and Medicine Bow. During the time when all decent people are in their beds, only the ruffians of this world roam at that hour, a man, Mr. Ryan Farnsworth, who had never done anyone harm was murdered while he slept. Not one bullet, not two, but three were found to have penetrated his body. That act alone would be enough to set a posse in motion, but the story turns worse. Farnsworth's beautiful young daughter, Caroline, so frightened by the commotion ran hysterically down the hallway only to plunge downward on the flight of stairs, breaking both of her legs. It is a miracle she lived, and in that survival she noted the three men that ran through the shadows in their escape. Her grief-stricken statement would then be added to a ranch hand that took two shots at the fleeing perpetrators. He knew the leader by sight and in further investigating by the local lawmen it was exposed in a shocking discovery that this gruesome murder was performed by the rebellious Mort Cory gang'."

Slim paused, looking at Mort to see his facial expression as pinched tight with sadness or anger, perhaps a bit of both and wondered if he should stop reading.

"Keep going," Mort prodded, sensing Slim's hesitation.

"'The leader of the gang is none other than Sheriff Mort Cory of Laramie. It isn't the first time a man supposed to enforce the laws has turned in opposite directions and begins to break the laws instead. What's intriguing about this one, as he's clearly traded his badge for bad, is that I know him personally. I've always thought he wasn't quite as polished as his star, but this heinous nature is like a slap in the face to not only myself, but to all men who ever revered his status as a lawman. What could make a man turn so sharply from one life to another? No one can tap into a mind so wicked as this, but perhaps the steps weren't so hard to take at all. Maybe this codger has had one foot on the opposite side of the law all along. Only he can say, but probably never will. Now let's take a look at the sidekicks. While Cory is clearly the brains of the bunch, the next man is purely the brawn. Dim Sherman,'" Slim paused his reading with a frown. "Dim Sherman?"

Jess fought the laughter bubbling in his throat and pulled his blue bandana around his neck up to his mouth and held it there with his teeth to stop from bursting. Jess cast a glance at Mort who had been so downcast it was clearly written on his face, but with Slim's changed name tickling Jess' funny bone, he could tell even Mort's mouth was flickering with a changing mood.

"Can I continue?" Slim sent Jess a scathing look then at his nod, Slim started to read again. "'Dim Sherman, who owns a ranch and relay station outside of Laramie has always been one of us good guys, that is, until now. He's valiantly stood by Cory's side through thick and thin so it comes as no surprise that he's followed the now sullied sheriff on the path of shame. It's seems that since his name has been printed on hundreds of wanted posters since that fateful night that it probably wasn't the smartest venture Sherman has ever made. I guess that's how he got his name. Welcome to the dark side, Dim'."

Jess could contain his amusement no longer. He rolled to his side and let the laughter take control as it spilled from his mouth. He pointed at Slim who sat stone still with an angry expression at Jess and laughed even harder. "Dim Sherman! You should see your face!"

"If you thought that was funny," Slim found himself starting to grin. "Wait until you hear what's said about you."

"What about me?" Jess stifled his laughter and waited for Slim to start reading again.

"'And last but not least,'" Slim paused to chuckle. "'There's Jest Harmer.'"

"What!" Jess grabbed the newspaper out of Slim's hand, scanned the print until he found his misspelled name then thrust the pages back in Slim's hands.

"'Now, Harmer's the only one in this bunch that is no stranger to the life of an outlaw. With a temper as quick as a rattlesnake strike and a gun draw to match, this man is the one to be feared. He's spent many days behind bars for various reasons but it is his taste for blood that keeps his face emblazoned on posters in every town from east to west and back again as the list of his killings grows larger every day. In the words of my great-uncle who has seen the worst of them, 'he's jest a harmer'.'"

"Now why did he make errors on our names but not Mort's," Jess crossed his arms over his chest. "I'd like to go show him _jest_ how much _harm_ Jess Harper can do!"

"It wouldn't surprise me if he embellished your names to suit his own taste. He couldn't mess with mine since as a sheriff, I was a public figure and my name already known. But you can bet that this will get around quick. The Mort Cory gang has names now, boys, and whether or not they're accurate, you're them."

"How'd our names, or lack thereof, get involved?" Slim wondered. "The poster in Medicine Bow just said the Mort Cory gang."

"Remember that shaky man in the livery?"Mort asked then waited for Slim's nod. "I had the lack of sense to tell him who you were. Was that the end of the article, Slim?"

"No, unfortunately not," Slim shook his head. "'Ryan Farnsworth's son, Gabe, claims he will not rest until his father's murderers are punished. Making it very clear that it matters not whether they swing legally or get cut down by someone as equally depraved, Gabe Farnsworth has set the reward at a staggering height. Ten thousand dollars. With a price that high looming over their heads, the Mort Cory gang probably won't be running free for long. Every man that can carry a gun will be after them and I wish them all good luck. And if you need a hint to where to look, just follow the trail of bodies that Harmer leaves on the trail wherever he goes.' It also gives a description, but I don't need to read that, since we already know what we look like."

"Ten thousand," Jess whistled. "If I wasn't improperly involved in this gang, I'd probably go hunting myself."

"I sure hope a copy of this doesn't go all the way to St. Louis for Jonesy and Andy to read," Slim wadded the newspaper and tossed it into the brush. "What would they think?"

"They'd be glad you finally made a name for yourself," Jess ducked when Slim made a playful swipe at him.

"This is serious, boys," Mort said getting the attention of Slim and Jess. "With that much money on our heads, there's going to be bounty hunters coming from hundreds of miles to try to collect. They won't stop to ask if this made up garbage is true or not. They'll just pull the triggers. And you saw what happened in Medicine Bow. They were ready to attack with a full lynch mob. If it wasn't for Jess knowing some back roads, we'd probably be hanging to the biggest tree in Medicine Bow right now."

"Couldn't we go to Laramie?" Slim wondered. "It's home, shouldn't some of the townspeople believe our innocence?"

"I'm sure there would be some," Mort agreed. "However, that's where the hunters will probably make their headquarters. Where else but in my own jail?"

"They'll probably be out at the ranch, too," Slim sighed. "Poor Ben."

"I think if we hide out for a few days, give the rope holders a chance to cool down and then we can try to get in touch with a marshal friend of mine, we can safely give ourselves up. I know he will look into this case with fairness and hopefully, the real murderers will be found." Mort pushed his hat back farther on his head and looked from Slim to Jess for their approval. "But for now, I hate to say it, we're on the run."

"I've never been on this side of the law before," Slim tugged at the collar around his neck as it suddenly felt tighter. "I'm not sure how to be on the run."

"I do," Jess shrugged. "It's not too hard. Just stay a couple of steps ahead of the ones in back of you."

"And if they catch up?" Slim asked although he knew how Jess would answer.

"We take them on," Jess pulled his gun in its usual blink of an eye movement and aimed it at an invisible being but didn't pull the trigger. "And be faster than they are."

xxx

It wasn't long into the following day when the words of Jess would be tested. After they had broke camp, they came across a seemingly unused road coming from an abandoned mine and as the road turned into a stand of trees, it soon became clear they weren't the only men around.

"We've got company," Mort's eyes detected the men first as they each stepped behind a tree.

"There's three of them," Jess' hand was already in position to draw his gun. "One for each of us."

"For some reason I'm not comforted by that fact," Slim said.

"Dismount boys," Mort directed, "then pick your man."

Jess eyed each man that slowly approached. There was one that had a look in his eye that Jess had seen many times before, mostly by just looking into a mirror. Jess took a step in his path feeling that odd excitement he always felt while being challenged and knew instantly by the chill that passed between man to man that the feeling was returned. His man was chosen.

Mort felt the stare come upon him from a burly man with a mustache. He returned the gaze and locked eyes knowing it was this man that would try to take him down. He'd taken his gun in hand many times when it called for rapid movement and knew now would be his greatest test of all. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgement for he knew this one belonged to him.

Slim stood tall and straight, spreading his feet to the right distance and watched another tall man echo his movement. He knew his hand didn't move as quick as Jess', but he felt the courage and tenacity flow through his veins as if he held the same reputation. Slim took a deep breath and held it, for he knew his man was ready.

Six guns were drawn in rapid succession but not every trigger would get pulled. Jess' man dropped to the dirt first without returning any fire as his life came to an abrupt end. Mort's man fired a shot but it was the bullet from Mort's gun that was strategically placed to silence any further blasts. Slim's man fell backward with a groan and raised his gun to shoot but with a rasping cry he breathed his last before he pulled the trigger. Each man that remained standing turned to look at the other but there was one that started to sink to the ground.

"Mort!" Slim and Jess cried in unison.

"I caught one, didn't I?" Mort put his hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of his blood seep through his shirt.

"Let me see, Mort," Slim gently unbuttoned the shirt and looked at the wound, trying to conceal the concern in his voice and on his face. "We'll get you patched up, don't worry."

"Don't tell me not to worry," Mort shook his head. "I can feel the bullet in there."

"Slim," Jess still held his gun and pointed it at the three men that laid on the ground. "Those shots are gonna bring every gun slick around for miles. We ain't got a choice but to get Mort to somewhere safe, then find a doc. Where's that cave you mentioned?"

"East of here," Slim stood and fixed his gaze in that direction. "Less than ten miles maybe."

"I can make it that far," Mort clenched his fists as a wave of pain tried to take him into darkness. "Just help me get on top of Badge."

"No, Mort," Slim shook his head, "you'll be riding with me. Jess will lead Badge with him."

"We can't take the time to bury them," Jess said while standing near the dead men. "I hate that I'm thinking about that joke of a newspaper article that said I've left a trail of bodies and here I have no choice but to do just that. I guess I can hope someone with some decency will come by and do the burying."

"As you said," Slim began as he helped Mort onto Alamo, "that gunfire was heard for miles, they'll be plenty of men here soon. One of them will have a shovel."

Jess waited until Slim and Mort were securely on Alamo before hopping onto Traveler, "I'll start out Slim, you holler directions as we go along."

They rode quickly, almost at a frantic pace across the land that ate the miles up quickly. Jess turned his head every few minutes to look behind them, expecting at every glance that there would be someone else in his view, but the only thing that made his heart thud harder wasn't seeing any man following, but seeing Mort slumped against Slim's shoulder. Jess started to slow his horse when they began to climb and towering masses of rocks, ridges and peaks met his view.

"Up there, Jess," Slim motioned to the rough and ragged terrain above them while keeping a firm hold on Mort who had moments earlier slipped into unconsciousness. "There are a couple of different entries to the highest ground, the easiest is just beyond that massive tree."

"I'm glad you know this area, Slim," Jess turned once again to look behind him, concerned that any moment another bounty hunter was ready to attack. "We've got to get Mort somewhere safe."

"The cave Pa and I stayed in was a little hard to find, I hope I can remember where."

"Hard to find is exactly what we need right now," Jess remarked as Traveler cautiously took the rocky path upward.

"Go left, now, Jess, at that boulder," Slim directed.

"I'm afraid we need to dismount," Jess dropped to the ground beyond the boulder and looked back at Slim holding Mort tightly to his chest. As surefooted as Traveler was, Jess knew it was best to guide him from the ground. "How far, Slim?"

"Do you see a large crack in the rocks near your feet anywhere?"

"No," Jess looked around for the sign Slim wanted him to see.

"It's wide," Slim continued. "I almost fell in it. The rocks were so slippery, if Pa hadn't been close to me to grab my hand I don't want to know what would have happened."

"I'll keep walking and looking, stay there for a minute. I'm leaving Badge with you." Jess started ahead on his own and after pushing through a crevice just wide enough for Traveler to squeeze through he saw the foreboding crack, although Jess had thought that word wasn't fit to describe what it really was there in the earth. Slim said it was wide and he hadn't been kidding. He tied Traveler to a tree limb at a safe distance from the abyss and went back to get Slim and Mort.

"I found it all right," Jess took Alamo's reins from Slim. "Stay up there with Mort, I'll guide your mount to the crack, but there's hardly any space to safely get around it, you'll probably have to get down and carry Mort over."

After Jess led Slim and Mort, Jess left Alamo by Traveler and went backwards once more to bring Badge through. With all three horses now at the deep hole in the ground, Jess stood near its edge and looked down.

"It's a lot bigger than I remember," Slim shook his head hard to clear the memory of almost falling. He had to be as sharp as ever to get around it now. "Looks at least three times wider."

"Probably all these years of snow, ice, rain and some earthquakes too have chewed it into a bigger hole," Jess said then kicked a rock down into the cavern. "Deep. Well, we ain't getting around it staring at it. I'll go first."

"Be careful, Jess," Slim felt Mort stir and he let out a soft groan. He whispered gently in his ear to hopefully lull him back into darkness. He would be better off not knowing what they were about to attempt.

Jess moved his feet slowly over the small rock ledge that spanned between the hole and a tall incline of tiny loose rocks. The ground was only firm in a narrow pathway and he wished he had something to grab with his hand to help guide his steps, but there was nothing safe to hold. He had one hand on Traveler's reins and the other helping control his balance as he walked he felt like one of those circus performers he had seen once in Texas. Seeming like it took longer than it actually did, Jess felt the ground widen underneath his feet. He exhaled the air he hadn't realized he was holding in his lungs and let Traveler relax in the safety of level ground.

"How was it?" Slim called from the other side.

"Not too bad," Jess wasn't sure if it was a lie or the truth. He'd have to make the trip again with Badge and Alamo so he'd answer again then.

"Talk me over," Slim had slid from his horse and held Mort in his arms as he began the frightening trek. With Mort's body covering Slim's view of the ground, Slim was aiming to walk the path practically blindly.

"Shouldn't I come and help?" Jess started to step again on the narrow slip of ground.

"No," Slim shook his head, "if something goes wrong, I want to make sure you're in a position to haul us to safety, and not to go down with us. Now, where do I put my feet?"

"Move slowly straight on," Jess knelt down to be ready to spring into action if necessary. "Keep your right foot straight and inch it forward. Now, slide your left a little closer to the center. Push both forward. Almost there. Don't look down! You're doing fine! Put your right foot about three inches over, there you go. One more step. Good job."

Jess took Mort's body from Slim's arms and gently laid him on the solid ground while Slim inched his back up against Traveler and breathed deeply while wiping the sweat drops from his face. He didn't want to admit it to Jess, but the sensation of falling had been so great coming across that he'd felt like the young inexperienced man that his Pa had saved many years before.

"I'll go back for the horses," Jess announced.

"Wait, Jess," Slim knew he couldn't ask Jess to go back over for both horses. "Alamo's mine. I'll bring him across."

"You'll get no arguments from me," Jess took a quick glance at Mort before going back for Badge. Without having to guide a horse, Jess found the path not so ominous and took the steps quicker. He waited to watch Slim take the cautious steps over then turned to grab Badge.

"I'll go first this time," Slim already had his hands on Alamo and began the perilous walk. He moved about the same pace as he had with Mort in his arms, but because he now could see the ground and where to put his feet, he felt more secure in his footing. He felt the fears of falling crawl up his backbone but he bit his lip hard until he tasted blood and kept his feet moving. Alamo proved just as steady as Traveler and didn't balk under the pressure. Sooner than he realized, Slim stood on the secure ground then turned to watch Jess make the same path again.

"Badge is nervous," Jess tugged the horse's reins and spoke soothingly to the animal before taking the first step. "Keep your eyes on us, Slim, just in case."

"I'm right here," Slim reassured.

Jess could feel the tension pass between horse and man and he sensed the accident before it happened. Badge took an inadvertent step and brushed the loose rocks with his right side sending the small stones sliding underfoot. Trying to keep him steady, Jess turned sharply to face the horse but his boot touched the tumbling rocks and he felt his body shift downward. The frightened animal began to rear and Jess lost hold of the reins.

"Jess!" Slim watched in horror as Jess began to fall. Badge took a wild leap and landed on more solid ground and with a mighty swing of his body, he was safely standing near his unconscious master. During the time when Badge was between Slim and Jess was only seconds, but it was long enough that Slim was powerless to save his friend from going down.

Jess had nothing to hang onto as his body plummeted. He felt his right leg strike something solid and he painfully tried to tuck his foot around it as he fell. The movement slowed him momentarily and he began to slide downwards on his backside instead of freefalling. A jagged root that stuck precariously out of the stone wall tugged at his gun holster and Jess grabbed it with his hands stopping his fall. It was too dark to see, but he slid his foot around and found at its farthest reach a ledge that was safe to stand on. He hoisted himself to it with the aid of the scraggly root and flattened his body against the safety of the earth.

"Jess!" Slim called from the distance above with such anguish tearing from his voice as he spoke that Jess knew Slim thought his friend had plunged to his death.

"Slim!" Jess returned the call. "I'm all right!"

"Thank God," Slim felt tears sting his eyes as he put his shaking hands at the edge of the fissure trying to see down but the only thing that met his eyes was pitch darkness. "Can you move?"

"Not very well!"

"How far down are you?"

Jess moved his head slowly to look up. He could see Slim's face sticking over the edge and gauged the distance. "Fifty feet, I'd say."

"Will you be able to tie a rope around you?"

"You toss a rope down here, I'll get it on."

Slim looked to where the horses stood and wondered how he was going to be able to safely pull Jess up. Traveler was always the calmest of the three animals under pressure and if he kept the other end of the rope secured to his saddle, he should be able to guide Jess back up to safety. He readied Traveler and the rope then started to guide Jess' end down to him.

"Let me know if you can see it or feel it," Slim called. "I can't see a thing down in that hole, so I'm not sure if I'll land the rope by you the first time."

"I can hear it coming," Jess answered. "It needs to be farther to the left."

Slim moved the rope then continued to drop it foot by foot down into the darkness. He waited until he figured it should be near Jess then gave it a little shake for Jess to hopefully see.

"I got it!" Jess pulled the rope tight around his waist then tugged on it twice stoutly to let Slim know he was ready. "Pull me up!"

Slim stood near Traveler and helped the animal pull. He led the horse along the rocky wall in front of them and counted the steps they took to estimate when Jess would be nearing the surface. He heard Jess grunt then left Traveler's side with a command to stop and was back on his knees at the edge of the dropdown.

"I've got you, Jess," Slim pulled the rope the last few feet and soon Jess was coming over the top. Slim grabbed him around the waist and pulled him all the way to safety.

"Thanks, Pard," Jess breathed deeply sitting securely on the ground. "I thought I was a goner for a second or two."

"I had the same thought," Slim sat down next to Jess, panting nearly as hard as his friend. "You hurt?"

"I don't think so," Jess stood to untie the rope from his waist and winced as he put his full weight on his right leg. "Maybe a little, I reckon."

"You've got a scrape on your cheek there, too," Slim touched the rough skin on Jess' face.

"It's nothing," Jess dropped the rope from his waist.

"What have you two been doing?" Mort wearily raised his head to look at Slim and Jess. "Looks like you've been playing games. Of all the times to be acting like school boys."

"I guess we were," Slim rolled the rope up then kneeled beside Mort. "How do you feel?"

"Not very good," Mort put his hand over his wound. "I feel so blamed weak."

"You've lost a lot of blood," Slim spoke quietly. "We're not far from the cave now, you'll be able to rest soon."

"Where do we head from here, Slim?" Jess stood in front of Traveler, poured some water into his hat for his mount to drink. "I hope you're right that it's close."

"It should be," Slim nodded. "See where the tree line is? Beyond there is some highland where Pa and I did the hunting. It's gentle ground up there, almost pasture like."

"Good," Jess mounted Traveler wanting to get off of his feet. "After what we just went through, it'll feel great to be on level ground again."

"There's about a mile left to travel once we get up there before it dips back down into the cave. Probably are several around up there, or so Pa said, but we ducked into the first one we found when the snow started. Come on, Mort, I'll help you get on Alamo."

With Jess leading the way and Slim supporting Mort's weary body, they took the last stretch of land at a steady pace. When the land began to change once more, Jess turned to look at Slim and saw him point to their right. Jess nodded and moved onward, soon seeing the darkening of the earth that opened like a mouth in the side of the rocks.

"We made it," Slim whispered to Mort, although his friend could not hear, for he'd slipped back into the darkness where words weren't heard and the pain couldn't be felt.

"It's a good cave, Slim," Jess had already dismounted and wandered through the first few feet of their hideout. "I don't see how anyone else in the world could know it's here."

"I hope so," Slim slid from his horse his hands still securely around Mort. "Jess, get Mort's gear and make him some place soft to lie down. He's getting weaker by the minute."

Jess followed Slim's command and soon had Mort's saddle, bedroll and several blankets nestled against the cave wall to hopefully help ease Mort's discomfort.

"I'll stake the horses out of sight then scout around a little," Jess said as he watched Slim gently ease Mort onto his makeshift bed. "I won't be long."

Slim looked at Mort's wound and grimaced. The bleeding hadn't yet stopped and the torn flesh was hot. He wished he could take the bullet out himself, but knew it was too deep and far too close to the heart and lungs to take the risk. If it had been in the arm, shoulder, leg or anywhere else he probably would have made the decision, but Mort's life was on the line, and he didn't want it to end at his hand.

"Is it that bad?" Mort awoke and asked as he saw the dismal expression on Slim's face.

"It's ugly, for sure," Slim wiped the bit of blood that got on his hand on his pants. "But you'll be all right."

"I don't know, Slim," Mort sighed. "I've been shot before, but this one feels different."

"The only difference is you're not lying in a feather bed with soft hands tending to you," Slim held up his hands in front of Mort to see. "You've got these."

"Slim," Mort swallowed hard to be able to talk. "I never thought my life might end like this, as a wanted man."

"It's not going to end, Mort," Slim said, looking deep into his friend's brown eyes. "And I know the real Mort Cory. You're not a wanted man. You'll never be the type of man that yarn telling newspaperman wrote about. You're not just a sheriff who upholds the law with a slam of a cell door, but you care for each man that you have to arrest and for those that still have a chance to learn and change, you give them that opportunity."

Slim paused for a moment, his eyes lifted to look past Mort like he was seeing another place in another time. His voice turned softer, more thoughtful as he continued to share his feelings with Mort.

"Remember how I was after Pa died? Pa and I hadn't seen eye to eye before I left for the war, it ate me up something fierce when I came home too late and he was gone and our last discussion had been a heated one. Do you know we never said goodbye? Hurt and angry beyond words, I couldn't display my temper in front of Ma or Andy or even Jonesy, but you saw it. Then when Ma died so soon after Pa, I exploded. I trashed the saloon and threatened every man that got in my way. I put bullets in almost every building between the old hotel and the saloon. Yet it was you who calmed me down. You set me aside and told me if I kept going in the direction I was headed, I'd be looking out on the world through iron bars for a long time. You showed me rebelling against my grief wasn't turning me into the type of man I needed to be to raise a young boy. You could have jailed me, but you let me go free because you saw in me something I hadn't been able to see for myself. You believed in me and I went home that night feeling like I could be the man that Pa and Ma had raised me to be."

"I remember it, Slim," Mort tried to smile. "That was one time you could have challenged Jess and probably have won."

"Good thing I wasn't around then to have found out," Jess spoke from the opening of the cave. "I just might have been wicked enough to accept that challenge."

"You still are," Slim raised his eyebrows at Jess as his friend nodded.

"Everything's quiet out there," Jess knelt down to the supplies and pulled out some jerky, "it's getting dark and looks like rain coming."

"One of us needs to get to Cedar Bend for a doctor," Slim said with concern in his voice.

Jess turned to look at Slim, not saying his words aloud he mouthed to Slim, "can't wait 'til dawn?" He watched his friend return the silent "no" then rested his eyes on Mort. His face was ashen and he could tell by the way his chest was rising and falling that it did so with great labor. The cloth pressed into the wound was soiled clear through with blood.

"If only we knew exactly where all those bounty hunters are," Slim said looking out into the night. "I'd be down that mountain in no time. It's only about five miles to Cedar Bend once on flatter ground. But there could be dozens of them between here and town."

"I'll go, Slim," Jess looked longingly at Mort. "After all, I have more experience being on the run than you do."

"He's right, Slim," Mort attempted to sit up on his own, but when he began to fall backwards, Slim hurried to his side and used his hands to help Mort be more upright. "If anyone's going to make it to town and back, Jess is the one. You might know this country like the back of your hand, but it's going to take a lawbreaker's mind, sorry Jess, to maneuver around those money monsters out there."

"No need to apologize, Mort," Jess slightly smiled. "I know my history more than you do." Jess put on his coat, grabbed his gear then turned to leave.

"Jess," Mort called wearily from his position. "If I don't make it, you know, by the time you get back, I just want you to know, despite your prickly attitude sometimes, you're a fine man. One I'd be proud to not just call my deputy, but a son. You too, Slim. We've all been through too much together to just call one another friends."

"Don't forget you're pretty stubborn yourself," Jess tried to sidestep his words over what Mort was implying. "You'll probably still be right here, bellyaching over Slim's foul coffee when I return."

Mort found a smile at Jess' remark but the pain was getting unbearable again. He leaned against his saddle and closed his eyes and found the darkness his solace.

"Be careful, Jess," Slim escorted Jess to the cave's opening. "He can't last much longer, I'm afraid. Do whatever you have to do, just get that doctor here."

"I will," Jess answered then took one last look at Mort before he exited, hoping it wasn't the last time he'd see his friend and mentor alive.

Jess stepped from the cave and looked up at the sky. It was total blackness with not a single star shining. He took a deep breath and smelled the moisture not too far away. Maybe it'd be an easy journey after all. If it rained, likely the bounty hunters would be stuck in a hole somewhere and not out searching under every rock and behind each tree.

Taking Traveler from their hiding place, he topped his horse and began to ride. He'd not be exiting the mountains the way he'd entered, there was no way he was going to try to get past that deathly gouge in the ground again. The route he was now on up high was fairly easy for his surefooted mount, but he figured in a mile or so near the descent he'd be taking, he'd be leading on foot all the way down.

It wasn't long after he dismounted and started on the downward trail when lightning made everything around as bright as day. The thunder that followed came with a gust of wind that made Jess press his hat tighter to his head. Speaking in soothing tones to Traveler, Jess tugged on the reins and continued to walk. With another display of lightning chasing itself clear across the sky, with the impending thunder Jess heard the sound of marching rain as it raced from west to east. In seconds the downpour was upon him and he looked back towards the way he'd come and thought with gladness that Mort was safe from the elements in the cave.

"Let's go, Son," Jess encouraged his mount. "We've seen storms before."

The storm raged onward as Jess walked downward with the rain streaming from his hat in several rivulets. Wind whipped the drops all around him and soon he felt his skin growing wet even under all of his layers. When a roll of thunder quit reverberating off the rocks and hills, Jess stopped still. Another noise became evident and not too far away.

Jess put his hand on Traveler's nose to keep him silent and turned his ear to the sound. Man and horse footsteps sucking in and out of mud were coming right at him. With gun in hand, Jess stood still waiting for the pursuer to find him. The flashes of lightning that suddenly quit were on Jess' side for without the blasts of light, the darkness was so intense Jess even had a hard time seeing past Traveler's head. Whoever was out there wouldn't be able to see much either.

The squishing noises were so close now Jess was sure he could hear the person breathing, but if he had thought hard about that thought, he'd have realized it was only his own lungs making the sounds. The rain was turning to hail and Jess held tighter to Traveler to keep him from balking but whoever was close to him either had a skittish horse or the owner wasn't good with the animal for the nearby horse began to run.

"Whoa, Scout," the voice must have been a mere fifteen feet away. The horse was running, the man kept shouting but the animal would be the only one to exit the hills in safety. The muddy ground, as slick as ice on a frozen pond would cause the man to slide to his death down a steep embankment.

When Jess heard the scream he instinctively knew what happened. He dared take a few steps that the man had trudged through then with a firm hand on a tree limb that stuck protectively in the path Jess did his best to see below. As another round of lightning lit up the sky it gave enough glimpses in those seconds for Jess to know for sure. There was no way for a man to live after falling like that. Likely it was someone out looking for the Mort Cory gang; an unnamed bounty hunter who would collect no more.

The hail had ended, but in its stead poured rain so violent, the hailstones somehow seemed to have felt softer. Jess wiped the rain from his face only for his eyelashes to immediately begin to drip again. He knelt to the ground to see the horse named Scout's hoof prints and set his feet in them. The horse just might have known where it was going, and Jess wanted to get on its trail.

The trail was gone after a hundred feet for the water and mud flowing downhill made the ground impossible to hold tracks. Jess held Traveler steady and inched their way into a stream that was up to his knees hoping that coming across the waterway meant he was getting closer to flatter ground. Jess urged Traveler to walk quicker for the current was strong and he wanted to get out of the water quickly in case debris was beginning to flow from up above.

Soon his foot hit rocks and with a great tug on the reins, he and Traveler were on firmer ground. With an appreciative pat on the neck of his mount, Jess spoke a positive word to the animal and then mounted. The rain was getting less intense and even though the darkness still pressed into him like a heavy cloth, he could make out the surroundings somewhat better with a view of a straight forward path in front of him.

Jess rode Traveler slowly until the sun took the edge off the darkness. The great ball of light couldn't penetrate the thick clouds, but since Jess could now fully see where he was going, he urged the horse to a faster pace towards town. He kept his eyes constantly on the move searching for any sign that he wasn't alone but because of the downcast weather, there was no one on the road but him.

At the edge of town, Jess tied his horse to the back of an abandoned building then inched along the side of the wall until he glimpsed the street. The office he was looking for wasn't far, for just two doors down from where he stood a sign that bore the name Dr. Ackley stuck out over the sidewalk. But what also met his eyes were the posters, five that he counted just within a short distance with the Mort Cory gang's description all over it.

Jess pulled his hat down low and rubbed his cheek as he walked to the doctor's office to help conceal his face. Not many people were on the street, but he didn't want anyone to get suspicious of his appearance. At the doorway of the doctor's Jess didn't bother to knock, he just touched the knob and walked in.

"What can I do for you?" The doctor asked immediately.

"My friend is hurt really bad," Jess answered, feeling relieved at the first glance of the doctor that he was a man not much older than himself. If it had been a grizzled old sawbones, he wouldn't have had an easy time getting him up to where Slim and Mort waited. "I need you to come with me at once."

"What's wrong with your friend?" Dr. Ackley grabbed his bag and began to search the contents to see what might need to be added.

"He's been shot."

At Jess' reply the doctor's head came around and looked Jess square in the face. Dark hair, blue eyes, black hat, dresses in blue. Fast draw, mean tempered, desperate outlaw. When the brown eyes grew wide, Jess knew in that moment that the doctor knew who he was.

"You're Jest Harmer!"

"Jess Harper," Jess corrected. "I'm not gonna harm you," Jess had to pause as he remembered the wording of the article and his misspelled name as he inadvertently used the word, "but my friend is gonna die if you don't help him."

"I can't help a fugitive," Dr. Ackley shook his head.

"Then I take back what I said about hurting you," Jess pulled his gun on the doctor. "You are coming with me. Now. Understand?"

"Yes," Dr. Ackley nervously nodded.

"Do you have a horse?" Jess looked out the window, hoping the one tied to the hitching post belonged to him.

"That one that you see there," Dr. Ackley fulfilled Jess' hope. "I was just heading out to check on a patient."

"Well you're schedule has just been changed," Jess nudged the doctor with his gun. "Let's get going."

Jess hid his gun in his coat as the doctor mounted his horse, then Jess took the reins and led him to where he'd left Traveler. Once on his own horse, Jess kept the doctor's mount in command and took a hurried pace away from town. Closing in on the dangerous ascent, Jess stopped the horses and stepped down, motioning for Dr. Ackley to follow.

"Look, doc," Jess said before they started upward. "I want you to know that we're innocent. Despite what you read in the papers and on wanted posters or even hearing the gossip on every tongue, there's no such group as the Mort Cory gang. But there is a Mort Cory, and he's up there in the hills with a bounty hunter's bullet in him. This is a rough climb, I won't lie, but I won't be holding my gun on you anymore, but I expect you to go with me to tend to my friend."

"I don't think I believe you," Dr. Ackley said honestly. "But I will try to help your friend."

"Good, now let's get climbing. Keep a tight hold on your horse, and you better know how to talk softly to him."

The climb wasn't any easier in daylight. The tracks Jess had made had been washed away by the downpour and as he began to tread the ground once more, he wondered how he'd made it down such a steep embankment during the nighttime storm in the first place. It had helped that in places coming down he'd nearly slid from step to step from the sloppy mud, but now, the higher Jess climbed, the more treacherous the ground became as the mire sticking to his boots kept wanting to push him backwards. After stopping for the fourth time to assist Dr. Ackley, he almost wished that he was back on the same path as the deathtrap hole in the ground.

Finally they made it over the worst stretch of ground and Jess took a glance back at the way they'd come. The trail stood out like a white horse in a barn full of blacks. He hoped with the rain still coming down in an annoying drizzle that no one would be out wandering, but if someone did see it, their hideout might be threatened.

Jess waited for Dr. Ackley to mount his horse before jumping on top of Traveler and instructed that they take a quickened pace. Covering the last stretch of distance, Jess felt his nerves start to tighten. Because of the storm he'd taken longer than he'd thought to get the doctor and return and knowing that Mort could have passed during the time made a hard pit form in his stomach.

Nearing the cave, Jess saw Slim's head poke through the opening to see who was coming. Jess gave him a tip of his hat and since Slim returned the gesture, Jess knew Mort was still alive. If he'd been gone, he knew his friend would have just looked down at his boots.

"I was getting worried," Slim slapped Jess on the back when he entered with the doctor close beside. "With that torrent that came down all night I wasn't sure you'd make it."

"I made it," Jess half smiled then watched Dr. Ackley examine Mort. "What do you think, doctor?"

"He's lost a lot of blood and the bullet's got to come out," Dr. Ackley looked up at both Slim and Jess the words he'd heard about the group rolling around in his head. "I won't know for sure until I get in there and see the damage. He's lived this long though, that's in his favor."

"Anything you need, doc," Slim knelt down beside the doctor and tucked the blanket closer to Mort's side, "you just ask."

"Slim," Jess motioned for him to come to the cave opening.

"What is it? Were you followed?"

"No," Jess shook his head. "But I nearly had a run in with someone in the night."

"Did you kill him?"

"No, but the storm did."

"Mort woke a couple of times, mostly during the loudest thunder," Slim looked back at Mort as the doctor began to operate. "He kept saying he wished you hadn't gone out there."

"That would've only been a necessary worry if I'd been the one that slid off that cliff instead of that other man," Jess followed Slim's gaze to Mort. "I sure hope that doctor's a good one."

Jess didn't have to wonder for long, for Dr. Ackley soon had the bullet removed and began to stitch Mort up. "He'll have to stay quiet for a while, but unless something unforeseen happens, he should be all right. There wasn't any major damage, though the bullet barely missed a lung. The bleeding is stopped now, but too much moving around could cause it to open. He's lost a lot of blood, as you know so he can't afford to lose much more until he regains some strength. Aside from that, I expect him to make a full recovery."

"Thanks doctor," Slim shook the man's hand. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate your service. I don't know how Jess persuaded you to come, but I'm grateful you did."

"I had to let my iron do a little talking," Jess held his hand out for the doctor to shake, who was hesitant for a moment, then took the offered hand willingly. "I apologize for doing so Dr. Ackley, but as you could see I had no choice, as Mort needed you badly."

"I understand," the doctor replied.

"I just realized I didn't introduce myself," Slim took Dr. Ackley's hand in his. "I'm Slim Sherman, the man who brought you here is Jess Harper."

"We were introduced earlier," Dr. Ackley gave Jess a quick glance. "My full name is Dr. Vince Ackley."

"Dr. Ackley, I'm not sure how much you'd be asking in a normal situation," Slim reached in his pocket, "but I have a few dollars that I could pay you with."

"Oh, I don't know," Dr. Ackley shook his head, reluctant to take Slim's offer.

"I've got a little, too," Jess pulled out a couple of coins, "well I thought I had more, but it's yours. You earned much more than what we can give. Especially since you came up here by force."

"You put your gun away, remember?" Dr. Ackley said, "I made the choice to climb the mountain alongside you, or behind you, as it really was."

"Yeah, but if you had refused, I probably would've thrown you over my shoulder to get you up here," Jess started to laugh. "And I'm not sure either of us would have made it up if it had been that way."

"Jess?" Mort's weak voice reached their ears. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Mort," Jess dropped to a knee to get close to Mort's side. "See, I told you that you were gonna make it."

"And be complaining about Slim's coffee," Mort found a smile. "I remember. I'll have to have some to see if you're right about that."

"How do you feel, Mort?" Slim was leaning down over his friend.

"Some better," Mort groaned trying to move. "Guess I shouldn't do that, though."

"You need to be as still as possible for a couple of days," Dr. Ackley joined the conversation. "The bullet's out but there was a lot of bleeding inside. Moving around could cause everything I stitched to come open again."

"Mort," Slim introduced. "This is Dr. Ackley."

"Mighty glad to meet you, doctor," Mort raised his hand for the doctor to take as the physician readily grabbed it, more to check his pulse than to shake in a friendly greeting. "I suppose it goes without saying you know who I am."

"Yes," Dr. Ackley said slowly. "But I'm getting the feeling you're not who everyone else thinks you are."

"You don't think we're the ones who killed Mr. Farnsworth then?" Slim asked then looked the doctor in the eye to read his expression.

"I admit when I first laid eyes on _Harper_ here," Dr. Ackley watched Jess smile when he accentuated the name, "I grew very fearful for my life, but now that I'm here with you three, I'm not afraid at all. Just watching the way you all interact with each other tells me plain that you're not killers. But my word probably won't convince the rest of the world."

"What about your sheriff?" Mort asked. "What kind of man is he?"

"Fairly young," Dr. Ackley replied. "Only been wearing the star for six or seven months. I don't even think he's in town, but out running around with some of his friends to claim the reward."

"Ten thousand dollars can change a man pretty fast," Mort sighed. "I've seen greed in the eyes of many men."

"I'd like to do something to help if I can," Dr. Ackley offered.

"We appreciate that," Slim said as he looked from Mort then to Jess who nodded his own gratitude. "But the best thing you can give us is your silence. It's imperative that this cave's location remains unknown as Mort rests for a few days. You know where the Mort Cory gang is hiding, but no one else can know, so I ask for you to not say a word to anyone about us and where you've been this morning."

"You've got my word on that, Mr. Sherman," Dr. Ackley promised. "I won't be heading straight to town anyway as I have a patient to go see. He's a stubborn, mule-like old man with bad eyes and limited hearing. If anyone wonders at all where I've been, all I have to do is point to him. He'll never know what time I came or how long I stayed or when I left, that is, if I can get there. The thought of going down that mountain doesn't give me much comfort."

"I led you up here," Jess patted the doctor on the back. "I'll get you back down."

"Thank you," Dr. Ackley smiled. "Now, I'll just take another look at Sheriff Cory and then be ready to go."

"I left quite the trail up here," Jess told Slim as they stood side by side looking out from the cave. "From all that mud it'd be easy enough for even a kid to trace. It helps that this rain doesn't wanna quit, but after I take the doctor back down to level ground, I'm gonna try to create a slide to wash out my trail. There's a spot about halfway up that I noticed would be a good place to get one going."

"Sounds like a decent idea, Jess," Slim put his arm on Jess' back. "Just make sure you don't go down with the slide. I won't be there this time to haul your backside to safety."

xxx

"I wonder what that was?" Ernie Munroe turned in his saddle at a rumbling sound not too far away.

"Probably thunder," Webb dismissed the noise altogether. "It's only been storming all night and still into this afternoon."

"I didn't hear it," Boss Bates scratched his ear. "But you both know my hearing ain't what it used to be."

"Didn't sound like thunder to me," Ernie nudged his horse to turn in a westerly direction. "More like a rock slide."

Ernie led the way to where he suspected the sound had come from with Boss Bates and Webb reluctantly following. He led his horse around a tree that looked like it had been struck by lightning and laid in an exploded array on the ground, which opened his vision to the rocky hills above.

"See up there," Ernie pointed, "I was right. A slide."

"That's not the only thing I see," Boss Bates squinted his eyes where Ernie pointed. "There's a man up there causing all that commotion. I know we're a fair distance away, but if I'm not mistaken, that's one of the fellows that was riding with Mort Cory."

"Then let's nail him," Webb had his rifle out in a flash and found his aim almost as quickly.

"No, wait," Bates motioned with his hand for Webb to drop the rifle. "I know you're a good shot, Webb, but we're too far. If you miss, you'll only let them know we're here. Besides, if there's any other no good do-gooders like us on the trail, they'll just hound in trying to get a piece of the bounty. No, just like the other plan, this one has to be perfect, and fortunately for us all, I have one."

"What is it, Boss?" Webb asked as he grudgingly dropped his rifle back in its place.

"Mort Cory and his men are up there someplace, hiding in a cave most likely. I know there are a lot of caves a mile or so beyond that high point in the rocks up there, but there's very few safe places to go up, especially now that Mr. Slidemaker destroyed that route there. Being on the run for as many years as I have you get to learn there's always another way in or out of a hideout, the same is true up there. It's going to take us four or five days to do it, but we're going to go all the way around and come sneaking in their backdoor. Yes, boys, in four or five more days we're going to be a whole lot richer. And I sure look forward to seeing the expression on Mort Cory's face right before I put a bullet in him to claim it."

xxx

"Stop Slim," Mort pushed Slim's hands away as he tried to help Mort to sit more upright. "I'm not an invalid, well, at least I don't feel like one anymore. I can sit up on my own."

"It's only been four days since the bullet came out. Dr. Ackley said to rest," Slim ignored Mort's protesting and helped him sit up anyway.

"He said to rest, which I have, but he didn't say I was to stay on my back forever," Mort stretched his arms in front of him then with a gentle sigh he placed one hand over his bandaged chest. "Doesn't hurt as much to move anyhow. Where's Jess?"

"Scouting," Slim replied then looked towards the cave opening as he expected Jess to return any minute. "He's been out everyday exploring all the caves in the area and practically memorizing every rock, tree, crevice and who knows what else. If there's been anyone out there moving so much as one measly stone, Jess is going to know about it."

"I sure wish I could be out there with him," Mort groaned as he shifted his position. "I'm getting mighty fed up with this cave."

"I know, Mort," Slim said then quickly turned toward the cave entrance. Rapid footsteps were not Jess' normal return routine. With gun in hand, he flattened himself against the side of the cave and gave a quiet command, "stay still, Mort."

"Slim!" Jess' voice brought relief and the gun in Slim's hand to drop back in its holster, but the urgency remained.

"Jess," Slim only dared a whisper. "What's wrong?"

Jess slipped into the cave, his gun gripped tightly in his hand. "There's three men out there. Granted they're some distance away to the north and aiming for the farthest cave, but we're not alone up here anymore."

"I imagine they're bounty hunters," Slim mused with irritation in his voice. "Why else would anyone be up here looking around?"

"They ain't out looking for butterflies to add to their collection, that's for sure," Jess kept his eyes outside of the cave.

"It's just a matter of time before they show up here," Slim joined Jess at the cave entrance to look at their surroundings.

"There's always a chance they'll give up before getting this far," Jess said with slight hope. "After looking in three or four caves and only finding hairy creatures, especially the one I tiptoed around a bear in, maybe they'll move on."

"I hope so, Jess," Slim didn't feel the word he expressed. "If not, our hiding is about to end."

"I'll go out and keep a sharp eye," Jess offered. "If you hear someone coming and you don't hear your name called, start shooting."

Slim inhaled a deep breath, held it, then released the air slowly as he watched Jess cautiously move out of his sight. He turned to see Mort sitting as straight up as he'd been since being shot, his gun in hand with a determined expression on his face that said he was ready for whatever was coming. Slim inched his back close to the cave wall by the opening to show Mort he too was ready, and then they both waited.

"How long's it been?" Mort asked as he started to feel the exhaustion fighting to overcome his strength. The anxious waiting was taking its toll.

"An hour maybe," Slim answered, his own angst showing as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "You all right?"

"I'm managing, though I could use a little water," Mort couldn't quite reach the canteen that Slim had filled for him that morning.

"I'll get it," Slim left his position to hand Mort the canteen just as a shot rang out somewhere close by.

"Could you tell where that came from?" Mort asked, forgetting the water as Slim repositioned himself at the cave's entrance.

"No," Slim shook his head. "Not being close to the opening here, all I could tell was that it was outside somewhere."

"Be alert, Slim," Mort cautioned, "and keep your eye out for Jess."

"Jess," Slim whispered, not loud enough for Mort to hear his words. "You better be coming."

All was silent for what Slim calculated at being five minutes, with the only thing showing life in front of him was the wind gently swaying shrub branches and grass blades. Clenching his jaw tight, Slim continued to listen and wait, but there was still no sign of Jess.

The blast from a rifle made Slim jump. The sound reverberated off of every cave and crevice but the place where it had originated was picked up by Slim's skilled ears. Somewhere off to the north, perhaps a couple of hundred yards away. He felt no security in that distance, since he knew the rifle had been fired by an assailant, for Jess was only carrying a handgun. With no return fire, Slim was afraid to even think what that might have meant.

Slim gave a glance back at Mort and gripped his pistol even tighter. An intense feeling of being torn in two clutched Slim with such fierceness he almost cried out. He knew he had to stay where he was to defend Mort, but Slim's devotion to Jess created a forceful pull that wanted to take him out into the line of fire to stand alongside Jess, especially if his friend had fallen. But in the cave was where he had to stay. Duty demanded it, and he knew Jess would expect it from him too. His feet stayed planted, but his heart and soul leaped from the cave in pure hope that Jess was all right.

Footsteps on stone heading in his direction put Slim in a crouched position, ready to act. His whole focus was on the sound of those feet as they shuffled slightly over the rocks. Jess wouldn't be making that much noise in his approach, so Slim wasn't expecting a voice to call out to him. Whoever it was, likely wasn't going to be anything but foe, and as soon as Slim saw the boot take the final step outside the cave, he jumped out to face the intruder.

"Drop it!" Slim's voice matched the threat of his gun as it pointed at the man's chest.

The gun was placed on the ground and Slim moved his foot to kick it away when he felt his chest tighten with the knowledge of another presence behind him. A gun barrel went into his back and he slowly raised his hands.

"You drop yours instead," the command was sharp and Slim obeyed. "Keep him busy, Webb, while I go take a look inside."

Webb swung for Slim but the taller man was able to dodge the swipe, and Slim gave him a firm smack to his jaw. With a kick from Webb that almost knocked Slim over, Slim firmed his stance and punched Webb with great force. Careening backwards, Webb took a deep breath then leapt on top of Slim, rolling him far enough away from the cave opening that Mort couldn't see the two anymore, only hearing the grunts, slaps, punches and moans from outside as the two fought.

"Looks like someone's beat me to you," Bates grinned menacingly at Mort as he strode into the cave. "Guess that makes my job easier."

"Bosley Bates," Mort said the name slowly. "I haven't seen the likes of you in a few years."

"Oh, you remember me?" Bates spoke with sarcasm lacing his voice. "I could never forget you, since it was your bullet that damaged my leg."

"You seem to be getting around all right despite your _affliction_ ," Mort answered, putting specific emphasis on his last word adding his own bit of irony.

"How should you know, since you don't feel my pain?" Bates raised his voice, "but you've been suffering your own pain. And you can thank me for all of it!"

"You killed Farnsworth!" Mort felt his hand tighten on his gun. This wasn't just an outlaw wanting to cash in the reward on his name, this was the one that framed him, and now everything was different. He was no longer a man protecting his life from a crazed bounty hunter, he was a lawman and it was time to take in his man. "Give up, Bates, you haven't got a chance."

Bates let out a loud guffaw and slapped his left hand on his thigh. "I don't have a chance? I'm standing in front of a wanted lawman that looks like he's been on the wrong side of a gunfight. Webb out there is thrashing your brawny sidekick while Ernie took care of the one called Harmer and you're saying that I should give up because I don't have a chance? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"No matter how it looks, Bates," Mort's voice was as strong as it ever was just as if he was standing outside of the cell door in his office ready to shove this murdering outlaw inside, "I'm still wearing a badge and I am surely able to make an arrest. You're not the only one holding a gun. You'd be wise to just throw yours down on the ground."

"Never!" Bates' feet instantly shifted and the gun moved a notch higher to point directly at Mort's head. "You won't take me in, I'm taking you in! And it certainly won't be alive!"

Mort looked into the barrel of Bates' gun without fear. He wished he was standing to make the fight a better match, but his recovering body wouldn't allow it. He saw the finger start to pull the trigger that would end his life, and with a skillful move of his own hand, the trigger of his gun was touched first, sending a bullet into the right shoulder of Bates that dropped the man to the ground with a guttural cry.

When the gunshot went off, both fighting men outside paused long enough in their startled state to look towards the cave but it was Slim's quick movement that reacted first and grabbed Webb by the collar and sent him down with a punch to the side of the face and a firm blow behind his neck.

Slim picked up his gun from where he'd tossed it and rushed inside the cave. He released the air he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he saw Mort still sitting upright, his gun in his hand. The man who'd tried to take Mort's life was on his back, breathing heavily as he clutched his bloodied shoulder with his left hand.

"You should have killed me!" Boss Bates growled. "Why did you just wound me?"

"Because I'm a sheriff, not a cold hearted killer like you," Mort answered. "And because I need you alive to clear the names of the Mort Cory gang."

"They're the ones," Slim holstered his gun as soon as he saw Bates was in no position to cause any threat. "You all right, Mort?"

"A whole lot better now that I know I won't be convicted for a crime I didn't commit," Mort put his hand over his bandaged chest. "I think this will heal a lot faster now, too."

"Mort, I'm worried about Jess," Slim turned to look outside, saw Webb trying to stand up then stepped out to yank the man inside of the cave and tied his hands and feet. "You think you can handle these two snakes while I go look for him?"

"I've got good company in my sidearm, Slim, you go ahead," Mort said then pointed towards Bates. "He mentioned a little while ago that someone named Ernie took care of Jess."

Slim took two quick steps to Bates, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to his knees. Looking him directly in the eyes, Slim snapped, "where's Jess?" With no answer, Slim resisted the urge to slap the man's face but tightened his grip on his collar instead. "I want an answer!"

"I don't know," Bates coughed when Slim started to shake him, "honest, I don't. I sent Ernie after him. Ernie fired at him, that's all I know."

Slim dropped Bates to the ground and looked at Webb, who instantly shrugged his shoulders that he had no knowledge either. Slim turned his eyes to Mort who motioned with his hand to go. Slim nodded then walked from the cave, remembering where the sound of the rifle had come from, he set his feet in that direction.

Moving northward at a rapid pace, Slim searched everywhere in front of him with his eyes as he walked but saw no sign of Jess. There were places he could have been hidden, especially if he'd been wounded and crawled in a corner for safety, but to Slim's eyes there was nothing and with each step he became more concerned.

Topping a rock ledge that stuck out in an odd shape in the back of another well hidden cave, Slim found where the shooter had stood, for the rifle was still there, as if it had simply been discarded. He picked up the rifle and continued onward, crawling through some scraggly brush that led to a slight drop off. He jumped the short distance then felt a hand grab the back of his jacket and pull him roughly around. With his hand ready to fire the rifle, he turned sharply only to discover he was looking into the face of Jess.

"Are you trying to get yourself shot?" Slim asked with tension in his voice as his eyes traveled from Jess' head down to his feet grateful in the same instant that nothing appeared wrong with Jess.

"No," Jess started to smile his sometimes irritating half grin, "I'm trying to stop you from getting shot."

"What do you mean?"

"You were up there hopping from one rock to another," Jess pointed behind them. "You make an easy target that way. Look over to the west."

Slim's eyes obeyed and grew wide with what he saw. He counted seventeen men heading in their direction and since their last encounter with a crowd was entirely too unfriendly, he was glad that Jess had pulled him into a more hidden place. As the group of men became closer, however, Slim felt his uneasiness begin to wane, for he clearly made out the men in the lead were wearing badges.

"That looks like a posse to me," Slim felt relieved at the thought. "There are at least two lawmen with them."

"The kid who took a shot at me ran towards them, since I wasn't sure what he was telling them, I figured it was best to stay hidden," Jess relayed his story with Slim. "I saw him aim at me and when he fired I faked that I was hit. When he came to check if I was deceased or not, I jumped at him and he started running and didn't stop until he met up with those riders."

"He's one of the men that killed Farnsworth in the first place," Slim explained. "The other two are indisposed in the cave with Mort. We have nothing to worry about anymore, Jess. We're free men."

"As long as the posse knows that," Jess watched as Slim pulled himself atop the nearest boulder to alert the posse then stood up along side of him. "They see us, and they ain't shooting us, so that's a good sign."

Once surrounded by the posse, without a single gun being drawn on them, Slim and Jess felt their bodies finally begin to relax. Ernie, with his face downcast and full of regret, shared a horse with one of the men in the posse and with his hands locked in a pair of cuffs, it was evident he was one of the guilty men the posse was pursuing.

With a marshal and deputy by their sides, Slim and Jess led the way to the cave where Mort still waited. Slim called out to him before they reached the entrance and Mort gave a hearty shout in return. Inside the cave, Mort shook hands with the marshal, relieved that with the exception of his wound needing to fully heal, this ordeal was over.

"I'd like to know how you started to pursue Bosley Bates and his gang instead of continuing after me," Mort wondered after the marshal released his hand.

"While we were out looking for you," the marshal explained, "I ran into Farnsworth's foreman who had an interesting piece of information. It seems he became suspicious of the ranch hand that supposedly witnessed you leaving the scene, Truscott was his name. Well, apparently Truscott started spending a large sum of money about three or four days after the murder and when questioned by the foreman, he told the truth. It was Boss Bates that killed Farnsworth and paid him to say he saw you that night. Then I had a talk with a bounty hunter by the name of Wiley Skeen and he claimed he saw Boss Bates and his men heading high up in the canyons here. Didn't take long to find his trail."

"Never thought I'd ever be thankful for someone like Wiley Skeen, but I am," Mort laughed. "Now all I have to do is get back to my office and I can start being just regular sheriff Mort Cory again." Mort turned towards Slim and Jess and with a glint in his eye he continued, "you know, I'm still going to be laid up for a few weeks as I continue to heal. If you boys haven't had enough excitement in your lives, you could always pin some stars on and chase around after outlaws like yourselves until I'm fully back on my feet."

"Oh, no, Mort," Slim shook his head with a smile. "After what we've been through this last week, ranch work is going to look mighty appealing."

xxx

Knowing that Mort was receiving the rest and care he needed in Laramie and grateful that the marshal that took Boss Bates and his partners to jail had appointed a temporary deputy to watch over the town, Slim and Jess finally ended their long journey and returned home. Ben was there waiting, jokingly ready to shoot them both at their arrival back to the ranch for causing him so much grief with the large lot of bounty hunters that had come in and out of the ranch house since the first poster had been printed. He took off in a joyful hurry, however, when Slim clapped him on the back and told him to spend the next few weeks fishing or he could stick around to hear every detail about how hectic life was while being on the run.

Fully aware that there would be plenty of work for them to start first thing in the morning, Slim sat down in the chair closest to the fire their first evening home and picked up a newspaper he'd taken from Mort's office that morning.

"There's quite the article in the newspaper about the now defunct Mort Cory gang," Slim leaned farther back in his chair and propped his feet up. "Mind if I read it aloud?"

"I have one question first," Jess asked as he poked at the fire, "is my real name in it?"

"Only if you've decided to change your name legally to Jest Harmer," Slim lifted his eyes off the newspaper to watch the instant mood switch in Jess' face from curiosity to anger.

"Then the answer is no," Jess grabbed the paper out of Slim's hands, wadded it up in a tight ball then threw it into the fire. "I don't wanna hear another one of those fairy-tales."

"I guess that's it then," Slim smiled.

"What's it?"

"The end of the story."


End file.
